Disk Replacement

Low back pain is sometimes a cause of disability in the United States and worldwide. At least
70 to 80% of people experience low back pain at some point in their lives. Artificial disk
replacement is a new surgical procedure which can relieve low back pain. It is similar to the hip
and knee joint replacements. The disk replacement substitutes the intervertebral disk in the spine
with a mechanical device. The device will restore motion to the spine and it will replace the worn
and degenerated disk.

This technology was used in Europe for more than ten years. Artificial disk replacement got
the FDA approval for use in the US in the year 2004. Over the past years many other disk
replacement designs are being developed and are currently being tested.

Lumbar Fusion and other Disk Replacement Surgeries

Lumbar fusion surgery is used for treating low back pain in patients who cannot be cured by
other non surgical methods. Many people who are suffering from low back pain get relief with
lumbar fusion, but the results may vary. For example a patient with spinal stenosis who has a
fusion procedure may have a different result from a patient who does the fusion to help back pain
which is caused by disk regeneration.

Moreover there are patients who undergo fusion surgeries which heal perfectly; still they do not
find any improvement in their back pain. The failure can be improved after the surgery, but some
doctors believe that it is because fusion prevents normal motion in the spin. For low back pain
artificial disk replacement is an alternative treatment option.

Who can be a candidate for disk replacement?

To find who can be a good candidate for disk replacement, the surgeon will require you to do a
few tests. These tests may include discography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), x-rays, and
CT scan. These tests will help surgeons to determine the source of the pain. Candidates for disk
replacement should have:

Not be overweight

Back pain which is caused from one or two intervertebral disks in the lumbar spine

No facet joint disease or bony compression on nerves

No kind of deformity

No surgery done before in the lumbar spine

The surgical implantation procedure is performed through an incision in the abdomen. This is
similar to the anterior lumbar inter body fusion.

During this procedure the organs and blood vessels have to be moved to the side. This will allow
your surgeon to focus on the spine without moving the other nerves.

A vascular surgeon will assist the orthopedic surgeon with the opening and exposure of the disk
space. The surgery will take about two to three hours. It is important that you gather information
about this procedure before you think of undergoing it.

TreatmentProcedure / Surgery

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Thomas Otabek, Canada, Total Knee Replacement Surgery

"Please accept my sincere thanks to the people at Marlin Safe Med Journey for ensuring that my stay in India for total knee replacement surgery was entirely comfortable. These people took every care of me from arriving at the airport to treatment in the hospital. I spent close to 15 days in the hospital..."

"For our family, my father's congestive heart disease was a frightening experience as we were not sure of his chances of survival. We had no access to insurance and hence the cost of top USA doctors and hospitals was simply unaffordable to us. Time was running out for us and finding out a reliable..."

Mrs. Gulistan Fadhil, Iraq, Kidney Transplant Surgery

"This I am writing to thank all those who so helped me during my stay in India for successful kidney transplant surgery. Today, I am in excellent healthy condition and my kidneys functioning well. Nevertheless, I must thank to the Marlin Safe Med Journey for making my trip to India and the treatment..."

Thomas Otabek, Canada, Total Knee Replacement Surgery

"Please accept my sincere thanks to the people at Marlin Safe Med Journey for ensuring that my stay in India for total knee replacement surgery was entirely comfortable. These people took every care of me from arriving at the airport to treatment in the hospital. I spent close to 15 days in the hospital..."

Disk Replacement

Low back pain is sometimes a cause of disability in the United States and worldwide. At least
70 to 80% of people experience low back pain at some point in their lives. Artificial disk
replacement is a new surgical procedure which can relieve low back pain. It is similar to the hip
and knee joint replacements. The disk replacement substitutes the intervertebral disk in the spine
with a mechanical device. The device will restore motion to the spine and it will replace the worn
and degenerated disk.

This technology was used in Europe for more than ten years. Artificial disk replacement got
the FDA approval for use in the US in the year 2004. Over the past years many other disk
replacement designs are being developed and are currently being tested.

Lumbar Fusion and other Disk Replacement Surgeries

Lumbar fusion surgery is used for treating low back pain in patients who cannot be cured by
other non surgical methods. Many people who are suffering from low back pain get relief with
lumbar fusion, but the results may vary. For example a patient with spinal stenosis who has a
fusion procedure may have a different result from a patient who does the fusion to help back pain
which is caused by disk regeneration.

Moreover there are patients who undergo fusion surgeries which heal perfectly; still they do not
find any improvement in their back pain. The failure can be improved after the surgery, but some
doctors believe that it is because fusion prevents normal motion in the spin. For low back pain
artificial disk replacement is an alternative treatment option.

Who can be a candidate for disk replacement?

To find who can be a good candidate for disk replacement, the surgeon will require you to do a
few tests. These tests may include discography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), x-rays, and
CT scan. These tests will help surgeons to determine the source of the pain. Candidates for disk
replacement should have:

Not be overweight

Back pain which is caused from one or two intervertebral disks in the lumbar spine

No facet joint disease or bony compression on nerves

No kind of deformity

No surgery done before in the lumbar spine

The surgical implantation procedure is performed through an incision in the abdomen. This is
similar to the anterior lumbar inter body fusion.

During this procedure the organs and blood vessels have to be moved to the side. This will allow
your surgeon to focus on the spine without moving the other nerves.

A vascular surgeon will assist the orthopedic surgeon with the opening and exposure of the disk
space. The surgery will take about two to three hours. It is important that you gather information
about this procedure before you think of undergoing it.